31

Jul

What Colors Of Granite Are There?

Are you looking to install granite countertops and are wondering what colors of granite are there? Well, there are many of them, with the most common ones being:

White granite

White granite countertops are probably the most common slab types. In fact, they are the first color that comes to most people’s minds when they think about granite.

Although the slabs are white, they aren’t smooth and plain white—they contain veins of other colors while some have a darker tone.

White granite slabs are mainly made up of white feldspar and creamy white quartz, with the most popular types being River white, Juprana Delicatus granite, Ivory Fantasy, Moon white, and Bianco Antico granite.

The beauty of white granite slabs is they can fit both antique and contemporary homes and business buildings. You only need to work with your contractor and find the best way to install them professionally.

Black granite slab

Although, they aren’t as popular as white slabs, most homeowners have embraced them, and now you will find them in more homes than before.

The countertops originate from gabbro, basal, norite, and diabase. The major mineral components being plagioclase and pyroxene.

When properly installed, the slabs provide an excellent and outstanding contrast with the light colors in the kitchen or bathroom. Since they are dark, they are best suited for larger kitchens and bathrooms. As a rule of thumb, avoid installing them in smaller rooms to make the room appear even smaller than it is.

Uba uba granite

They originated from Brazil, and compared to other types in the market, they contain plenty of gold, gray, and green specs that run randomly on the black background. As a result, you have shimmering countertops that you can’t stay away from.

Bianco Antico granite

If you are looking to give your countertops a strong and classic look, these are the countertops to go for. They feature a mixture of red and brown flecks and spots that give them one of a kind look.

When properly installed, the countertops have a soft white-ish gray color with pink and brown spots.

River white granite

This granite originates from India, and it features a white background flourished with red spots and veins of a dark gray color. It’s also common to find some countertops with a combination of blue, gray, and off-white flecks on the surface.

Overall, the countertops give your kitchen and bathroom surfaces a more vibrant white appearance.

Black galaxy granite

The slab’s rich black background is filled with fine grains of white and gold specks that give it a unique look. It’s also common to find some slabs with larger grains of these specks.

Although, you can pair galaxy granite countertops with almost any other color, they look their best when paired with light brown or beige, which gives the surfaces a classic look.

Black pearl granite

The most identifying feature of these countertops is the depth and smoother tone with fewer specks and flecks around the surface, giving the countertops a unique look.

If you have always wanted to install an all-around, rich, deep black tone in your kitchen or bathroom, this is the best one to go for.

Tan brown granite

If your cabinets are wooden and your furniture dark brown, this is the best slab color to go for.

These countertops have a rich and slightly dark brown tone with an almost uniform combination of burnt orange, black and red specks.

For the perfect match, paint your cabinets and other parts of the kitchen or bathroom tan brown. The tan-brown gives an excellent contrast that you will be proud of for years.

New Caledonia granite

This is a gray granite slab that has interchanging shades of dark and light gray tones. In some slabs, you will have streaks of black placed randomly around the countertop surface.

For the best look, install the countertops in the interior of the house or commercial building.

You should work with your granite installers Montgomery County MD and find the ideal colors to pair it with, to get the perfect look.

21

Jul

What Should I Look For When Installing Granite?

Granite countertops come with plenty of perks. They are durable, beautiful to look at, and easy to maintain. While this is the case, you shouldn’t install the countertops haphazardly—you should consider several tips.

Wondering what should I look for when installing granite? Well, there are plenty of things you should do, with the common ones being:

Granite slab

When you are new to granite, you might feel that all granite slabs are the same, but this isn’t the case. Granite slabs run a gamut of qualities ranging from cheap, low-quality slabs to high-end, premium quality slabs.

When you are in the stores shopping for countertops, you should be cautious of the quality of slabs you buy.

One thing that will inform you about the quality of the countertops is the price that the countertops are going at. If the countertops are cheap, they are most likely low quality, and you should be cautious buying them.

The other thing you should look out for is the presence of cracks on the countertop slab.

Since granite is natural, it’s common for it to have small fissures that are often harmless. These fissures resemble small cracks, and you have nothing to worry about when you come across them.

Besides fissures, it’s also common to find some countertops with large cracks, and you should be worried when you see them. Although, countertops with large cracks tend to sell at lower prices, don’t be tempted to buy them, thinking that you will fix them later on as you can’t.

These countertops with large cracks are low quality and weak, so you should stay away from them.

To get the most from the granite countertops, buy high-quality units that will last for a long time and look good for long.

Cabinets

The other thing you should pay attention to when installing granite is the cabinets that you will place the countertops on. If installing the cabinets for the first time, ensure that you put up strong cabinets that can withstand the weight of the countertops.

If you had installed other countertop materials such as wood, consult a professional to help you determine whether the kitchen cabinets are strong enough to carry the weight of granite. If they aren’t, highly consider reinforcing them before installing granite.

The last thing you want is the cabinets breaking and having to build new ones. As you can guess, this can be expensive, especially if the countertop slabs break.

Besides ensuring that the cabinets are strong, they also should be level and properly secured to the wall. This way, you are sure that they can’t come off, and your countertop will be level.

Lighting

The lighting in your kitchen heavily determines the granite color you should install. If your kitchen doesn’t have a lot of natural light coming in, install gold or white granite countertops. On the other hand, if your kitchen has plenty of natural light, install dark-colored countertops such as mahogany, black, and deep blue.

To have a feel of how your countertops will look after installation, bring your granite slab to your home before you commit to buying more slabs. How does the slab look? Do you like it? You should continue buying more but if you don’t like it, let a professional help you choose the right one.

Granite installer

Unless you have the skill, you should let an experienced contractor install the countertops. In the same way, you can’t let any mechanic service your car, you shouldn’t let any person posing as a contractor do the installation.

The contractor you hire should be highly experienced. This means that he should have handled similar projects in the past.

The last thing you want is a professional coming to train on your site and end up damaging your expensive countertops.

The easiest way to tell how experienced the contractor is by asking them during the interview stages. If the contractor has never handled several projects similar to yours, don’t hire them.

The granite installers Potomac you hire should also have a beautiful personality. This is especially important if you have a large kitchen that requires you to do the installation over a couple of weeks or even months. You don’t want to be stuck with a boring contractor with a horrible personality, do you?

12

Jul

How Do You Get The Best Deal On Granite Countertops?

As much as everyone wants to install granite countertops in their homes, there is the issue of money.

Good quality granite counters don’t come cheap, so most homeowners look for ways to cut the costs.

How do you get the best deal on granite countertops? If you are asking this question, you should know that there are plenty of ways you can do it. Some of these ways include:

Take your time

One of the major mistakes homeowners make when they are looking for countertops is being in a hurry. After they have decided on the countertops they want for their homes, they rush to the nearest store and make the purchase. This is wrong.

To secure a great countertop deal, you need to take your time. This calls for you to start the countertop-hunting process early enough. Experts recommend you start the process at least three months before you install the countertops.

This way you can visit various stores and compare their prices.

When you aren’t in a hurry, you will confidently bargain the price without worrying about the seller rejecting your offer.

Buy wholesale

Another way to get a great countertop deal is to buy the countertop slabs wholesale. As you can guess, this calls for you to avoid the retail stores and go straight to wholesale.

Like other products in the market, countertops sell at lower prices in the wholesale stores, so if you have one in your area, buy from there.

Even when you have several wholesale stores in your area, don’t buy from the first store you bump into. Visit different stores and see what they have in stock. You should obviously buy from a store giving you the best deal.

Buy from small local stores.

You might have the impression that the larger stores will have the largest countertop options and give the best deals, but there is nothing from the truth than this.

As a matter of fact, these stores are the worst, and you should avoid them like the plague.

For one, these stores have few countertop options, so you are limited on the number of countertops you can buy from them. Second, the prices in these stores are set in stone—you can’t negotiate.

The small local stores, on the other hand, are a completely different case altogether. Since highly motivated countertop enthusiasts run them, they tend to house plenty of countertop materials, so you have a wide range of materials to choose from.

Since you have a one-on-one conversation with the owners, you can negotiate on the prices, so you walk out with an excellent deal. These small stores often install the countertops free or at a small fee which sees you saving a lot of money.

Go for regular granite colors.

Did you know the color of the slab you choose has a significant impact on the overall price? So to avoid spending an arm and leg on your countertops, go for regular colors such as black, white, and gray. As a rule of thumb, avoid rare colors such as red as you will pay a premium for it.

The same thing applies to veining, and patterns—choose common patterns to get a good deal.

Go the prefab way

A prefabricated stone has already been cut and polished, and it goes for half the price of a custom granite counter.

While prefabricated stones will save you a good chunk of money, you should note that they aren’t good for all situations.

They work best for simple counters requiring few cuts, such as when your cabinets are standard, and you don’t need to make any customization.

Use granite remnants

Are you looking to cover just a small area, such as the backsplash behind the stove? Don’t waste money on full granite slabs. Instead, visit the granite stores and buy granite remnants. These are small granite chunks that have been leftover from previous projects.

Since these pieces are too small to outfit an entire kitchen, most countertop stores sell them at huge bargains.

If you want to give a small area in your kitchen or bathroom a high-end look at a budget, visit these stores and make a purchase. You should work with your granite installers Rockville and expertly install the remnants in a fashionable style.